Killing Mayberry: The Crisis in Rural American Education

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the turbulent and challenging times facing teachers and administrators in rural schools. The article examines literature from over the past decade to paint a full picture of the economic and social pressures exerting themselves in rural America and the impact these forces are having in rural schools. This work argues that rural education has been ignored too long by policy makers and even many Americans, and that this crime of omission has had disastrous consequences for many small communities. The article concludes with an examination of some of the tentative but hopeful steps that are being taken to address the crisis in rural education.